A standard residential fire extinguisher (“SFE”) is a cylindrical pressurized vessel that can weigh up to 30 pounds and can be used to extinguish Class A, B, or C fires. In this regard, class A fires typically involve ordinary combustible materials, such as, cloth, wood, paper, plastics, and the like. Class B fires typically involve flammable or combustible liquids, such as, gasoline, alcohol, oil-based paints, and the like, and Class C fires typically involve energized electrical equipment.
SFEs can be activated by the P.A.S.S. method (designed by FEMA), which consists of Pulling a pin, Aiming at the base of the fire (aiming at flames is ineffective), Squeezing the lever slowly, and Sweeping from side to side. However, before utilizing the P.A.S.S. method, a user is encouraged to notify the authorities, evacuate all others from the area, and ensure that the type of fire extinguisher she is using addresses the class of fire that she is facing. This process can be neither time-efficient nor easy. It is generally recognized that the average household fire tends to double in size every 60 seconds (Grimwood, Paul. Euro Firefighter. Lindley, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire: Jeremy Mills, 2008. Print.).
In some instances, a user of an SFE may be at risk of further endangering her property, herself, and those around her by attempting to use an SFE, because use of the SFE often involves actively “fighting” the fire. The average person (i.e., not a trained first responder) does not have basic training in the activation of an SFE, knowledge of its optimal use (i.e., which extinguishant classes address which fires, the correct distance at which the extinguishants are effective), or necessarily easy access to the SFE that she keeps in her home (i.e., many residences hold SFEs in the kitchen or garage, but the deadliest fires take place in the bedroom and living room)(reference National Fire Protection Association's Fire Analysis and Research Division's release of the Home Structure Fires analysis in April 2013).
Prior to the development and widespread use of SFEs, fire extinguishing balls were commonly used in the home. In some instances, fire extinguisher balls were generally considered useful and relatively safe because operation was rather intuitive. However, prior fire extinguisher balls have nonetheless suffered from various detrimental features, from safety, ease of use, and efficacy perspectives, and therefore improvements in the area of fire extinguishing ball technology is desirable.